Meet our new favourite side dish. Yukon Gold potatoes are boiled, smashed, roasted until crispy, and then topped with a decadent, yet heart-healthy, avocado garlic aioli. Be still my heart. In the spirit of new beginnings for our little family of three, I decided to add something new to my Thanksgiving repertoire this year. Eric and I polished off the first batch all on our own…no regrets! hah. Well, my only regret was that I didn’t make a bigger batch.

Here’s a quick visual how-to…

These are incredibly easy to make, yet taste like something from a high-end restaurant. Yup, that’s right, we’re getting fancy pants up in here.

In conclusion, I recommend making this recipe as soon as humanly possible. You won’t be sorry. I know this dish is going to be on high rotation in our house this winter (much like our old stand by). Who said winter was all gloom and doom? I beg to differ. Bring on the comfort food!

Crispy Smashed Potatoes with Avocado Garlic Aioli

One of my all-time favourite ways to enjoy Yukon Gold potatoes! Smashed, crispy, and served with an addictive - yet healthy - avocado garlic aioli sauce. These smashed potatoes make a killer side dish. Eric and I managed to polish these off all on our own, so I suggest doubling the batch (and sauce) if feeding for a group. If you have leftovers you can reheat the potatoes in the oven until warmed throughout. Smashed potatoes inspired by Leaf.

Yield 7 medium potatoes

Prep Time 20 Minutes

Cook time 55 Minutes

Total Time 1 Hour, 15 Minutes

Ingredients:

For the potatoes:

2 pounds Yukon Gold potatoes (or try red or new potatoes)

2-2.5 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil (or oil of choice)

Fine grain sea salt and freshly ground black pepper (be generous)

Garlic powder, for sprinkling on top

1/3-1/2 cup fresh parsley, minced

Avocado Garlic Aioli:

1 large avocado, halved and pitted

1 large or 2 small garlic cloves

1/2 tablespoon fresh lemon juice

1/4 cup soy-free Veganaise (or vegan mayo of your choice)

Fine grain sea salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste

Directions:

Add potatoes into a large pot and cover with water (I do not peel the potatoes). Place on stove top and turn heat to high. When the water starts to boil, reduce heat slightly, and simmer uncovered for 20-25 minutes, until tender.

Meanwhile, prepare the avocado aioli. Add garlic into food processor and process until minced. Now add the rest of the aioli ingredients and process until smooth, scraping down the bowl as needed. Add salt and pepper, to taste.

When potatoes are fork tender, drain in a colander and cool for 10 minutes or so. Preheat oven to 450F.

Place potatoes on a large lightly greased baking sheet. With the base of a mug or measuring cup, smash or press down on each potato until it's mostly flattened (see photo in post). Some potatoes might break apart a little, but this is totally fine.

Drizzle each potato with about 1 teaspoon of oil and sprinkle on a generous amount of salt and pepper. Finally, sprinkle on some garlic powder.

Roast potatoes in the oven for 25-30 minutes until crispy, golden, and browned on the bottom. I roasted the potatoes for 30 minutes as I used fairly large potatoes. Keep an eye on them as cook time will vary.

Remove from oven and sprinkle with chopped fresh parsley, more sea salt, and pepper. Serve immediately with avocado aioli and watch them go lightening fast!!